New 12-foot-wide mattress, big enough to fit your entire family

LOS ANGELES (KTVU) - Go on any parenting blog and you'll be sure to find plenty of strong opinions on co-sleeping, also known as family bed-sharing.

For those who are fans of the practice, a Southern California company is making it a lot more comfortable for parents to fit in an extra body or more into their beds with a new 12-foot-wide "family size" mattress.

To get an idea just how much bigger that is compared to the current bed you're sleeping on, it's almost double the size of a traditional king-size mattress.

The Ace Collection says it came up with the concept five years ago when a client said she was seeking a large enough bed that would fit all of her children for their nightly bedtime stories.

"Since then, we've fabricated beds, of all sizes, for tall athletes and clients that just need extra room for their kids and pets," The Ace Collection says on its website.

The Los Angeles company says when it began researching the idea for custom-sized mattress, it found the prices were out of reach for many consumers so it wanted to find a more affordable solution.

“Everyone needs the gift of rest and comfort. It shouldn't be an unattainable luxury,” says company founder and interior designer, Ana Pekarovic.

The mattresses start at $2,500.

While The Ace Collection's "family size" mattress may appeal to parents who co-sleep, the company says it's for anyone who is seeking more room and comfort at night.

The controversial practice of family bed-sharing has long been at the center of sleep-training debates.

Opponents argue it can inhibit a child's independence and say having parents and children in the same bed prevents anyone from getting a good-night's rest.

While others say there are many benefits to co-sleeping, including that it actually allows babies and parents to sleep more peacefully at night, reduces bedtime anxiety and helps develop parent-child bonding.

Wherever you stand on the co-sleeping debate, The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has very clear guidelines when it comes to bed-sharing with infants.

The AAP recommends room-sharing-- putting babies in the same room but having them sleep separately in a bassinet or crib, for at least the first six months of life and optimally, for the first year.

But The AAP warns parents against sharing the same bed with their infant, saying it can increase the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome or SIDS.

Whether for packing in the whole family or for being able to roll around in a vast, spacious bed at night, the company says, its "family mattress" addresses what it saw as a growing demand for larger, more comfortable beds.

"The Ace Collection is all about bringing family and loved ones together in a shared comfortable space," the company said.